| FIT FOR MCQUEEN So your super max air-dunk Ice Cream 5.0s are totally slammin' and nobody else has a pair? That's cool. But wait until you see ManCat, the nutty new line of footwear that Alexander McQueen designed for Puma. Puma, like adidas and Umbro and Ellesse and every other sports company these days, knows from a sweet collaboration (they've already got long-running deals with Mihara Yasuhiro, Jil Sander, and Christy Turlington). With McQueen, Puma pushes the high end of outrageousness even further. The trainers are futuristic and organic at once: Based on the anatomy of the human foot, nearly every design is accented with rubber "ligaments" that cradle the ankles. One features a cast of McQueen's own foot, while another is made from canvas mattress ticking and embroidered with buttons. Button-down sneakers? Totally mad, and totally McQueen. MEGHAN SUTHERLAND |
| SPACE INVADER: ANYTHING, NYC Aaron Bondaroff is one of those lucky schmucks you thought only existed in urban legends. He grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn; spent his teens skateboarding around the East Village and befriending its famous denizens; and somehow ended up with lucrative gigs consulting for Supreme and Stüssy. Now, the man-about-town is sharing the wealth with his new boutique, aNYthing (short for a New York thing--also the name of his T-shirt line). Nestled amongst Kosher butchers and candy stores where the Lower East Side meets Chinatown, the space--designed by architect Rafael Cardeñas to look kind of like Dirk Diggler's home library, on acid--is less a shopping pit stop than an idea lab and hangout for the downtown art, fashion, and skate scenes. Look for T-shirts with graphics from star photogs Ryan McGinley and Terry Richardson, CD box sets from As Four, 'zines from artists like Mark Gonzales, Neckface, Dash Snow, and Dan Colen, and a DVD section curated by Jim Jarmusch. (And bring your girlfriend--Bondaroff, whose "sister would kick my ass if I didn't take care of her," has stocked plenty of loot for the ladies.) "My friends and I see each other in nightclubs, but we needed a place to come together the rest of the time," says Bondaroff. "I think of the store as a 'day club.'" EVIANA HARTMAN . aNYthing, 51 Hester Street, NYC www.anewyorkthing.com |
| PLAY THIS: TOURIST TROPHY FOR PLAYSTATION 2 You've raced the Ferrari F-50 through the back roads of Monte Carlo, and you know the difference between a Lamborghini Murcielago and the Diablo 6.0 VT. These are clear indicators that you are a graduate of the best selling racing game in the world, Gran Turismo. This spring, the company responsible for the Gran Turismo phenomenon, Polyphony Digital, take their virtual racing expertise into the motorcycle arena with Tourist Trophy on PlayStation 2. The game, like its predecessor in 1998, forges new ground in the virtual racing experience, and this time there are more than 80 licensed motorcycles to take control of in various game modes on more than 35 international courses. Refined game physics technology blurs the line between driving simulators and video games more than ever before--just make sure you control that impulse to purchase that neon-green Ducati Monster. Unless, of course, you just have to have one. RONEN SHAPIRO |
| SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE Robert Palmer (R.I.P.) probably had no need for a deodorant this delicious, because his lyrics alone had the ladies flocking to him. But for the average guy who shuns most overwhelming colognes but still wants to smell like something other than Dial, Givenchy's offering is perfect. The deodorant version of the line's cologne passed muster with both male and female NYLON editors for its sophisticated packaging and subtle scent. Your pits have never had it this good. FV Givenchy Very Irrèsistible Deodorant, $17, sephora.com |
| CROWN JEWELS Prince Ferdinand is the king of men's jewelry. The Danish company specializes in gold accessories such as rings, pendants, and necklaces that perfectly complement that tux you pull out of the closet twice a year. But it's their black leather belts with sterling silver buckles that really grabbed our attention. Like all Price Ferdinand creations, each buckle is a unique item handcrafted by skilled goldsmiths. Our favorites are the "100 Words Belt" and the "Bible Belt," which can be customized with any text the purchaser desires. "The idea is to allow the wearer to leave his own mark on a piece of jewelry," says CEO Tony Skovsende. "Seen from a distance, the text buckle is a graphic, but when the observer gets close to the wearer they will learn more about this person." PHIL WHITE princeferdinand.com |
| BEAR WITH ME Who says rock 'n' rollers don't play with dolls? Not designer Keanan Duffty. Duffty, who once staged a fashion show for his clothing collection Slinky Vagabond using Barbie dolls on a conveyor belt in lieu of the usual models and catwalk conspiracy, has put his stamp on a Kidrobot "Dunny" toy. Like most British punk-inspired designers, Duffty is no stranger to subverting iconic imagery from the Union Jack to Mickey Mouse; his Be@rbrick toy for Japanese company medicom, created with British rock journalist Jon Savage, sold out nearly instantly. The new "Dunny" comes in a psychedelic color combo and features Slinky Vagabond's coat-of-arms. The toy is accompanied by a Keanan Duffty for Kidrobot clothing line, for those of you who'd rather play dress-up. FRANK E. DEJESUS www.kidrobot.com |